1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to certain soccer ball kicking practice devices. More specifically, this invention is concerned with attaching a soccer ball to such soccer ball kicking practice devices.
2. Discussion of the Background
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,056,236 and 7,137,909 to Ohle (“the Ohle patents”) teach soccer ball kicking practice apparatus having a roller chain center device/coil spring biasing system that serves to return a soccer ball to its original position after it has been kicked. These patents teach that an outside end of an elongated soccer ball mounting arm can be provided with a soccer ball mounting device wherein a bolt (that is incorporated into a soccer ball) is attached to the mounting arm.
FIG. 13 of the Ohle patents show a side cut-away view of a soccer ball 227 provided with a mounting bolt that is attached to a soccer ball abutment/mounting piece 236. The soccer ball 227 has an outer cover 228 and an inner air-inflatable bladder 230 common to most commercially available soccer balls. A threaded portion of the mounting bolt 232 passes through a hole 234 in the soccer ball cover 228. This bolt 232 is also shown passing through the soccer ball abutment/mounting piece 236. Such an abutment/mounting piece 236 may have a flat outer surface or a concave outer surface 238 to receive and better seat the round outer surface of a soccer ball. The soccer ball cover 228 and soccer ball abutment/mounting piece 236 can be tightly abutted to each other through use of a threaded nut 240 that is threadedly engaged with the bolt 232. A washer 242 also can be placed between the inside 244 of the soccer ball cover 228 and the bolt head 246. In the alternative, the bolt head 246 could be on the outside of the abutment mounting piece 236. A bolt head padding piece 248 is placed between the bolt head 246 and the bladder 230. Ohle's FIG. 13 shows the soccer ball 227 abutted against the right side 250 of the soccer ball abutment/mounting piece 236. In the alternative such a ball 227 can be mounted on the left side 252 of said abutment/mounting piece 236. The left side 252 of the abutment/mounting piece 236 is shown optionally provided with a padding material 254 having a concave outer surface 238 for seating the round outer surface of a soccer ball.
Some drawbacks have however become manifest in the soccer ball mounting system disclosed in the Ohle patents. One of these follows from the fact that, upon being kicked, the soccer ball 227 tends to wobble on the ball abutment/mounting piece in the region immediately surrounding the hole 234 in the ball cover 228 through which the bolt 232 protrudes from the interior of the ball. Elimination of this wobble tends to produce a more uniform spatial positioning of the ball upon its return. Moreover, the resulting wear on the ball cover as a result of this wobbling in the region immediately surrounding the hole 234 may lead to a need for a relatively early replacement of the ball. The device of the present patent disclosure deals with the above noted drawbacks and significantly extends the useful life of the soccer ball.